social change

what type of social influence brings about social change

minority influence

occurs when a smaller group influences the beliefs or behaviours of a larger group, leading to change - persuade the majority to adopt their point of view

why does minority influence bring about social change

leads to internalisation - beliefs are genuinely adopted by the majority

lessons from minority influence

AO1

group dynamics and strategies such as consistency, commitment, and flexibility can enhance minority influence, leading to lasting social change. Minority influence is a powerful source for social change as it can promote revelation of beliefs and foster deeper understanding within the majority.

lessons from minority influence

AO3

support from Moscovici’s research

P - social influence happens slowly

E - it has taken decades for attitudes against smoking to change significantly, demonstrating how persistent minority viewpoints have to be

T - Nemeth argues that the effects of minority influence are likely to be indirect and delayed , therefore they cannot explain all types of social change by showing that there is a consistent minority opinion that eventually influences the majority over time.

lessons from conformity

AO1

people conform due to normative social influence, where individuals adjust their behaviours or beliefs to fit in with the group, or informational social influence, where they look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations.

lessons from conformity

AO3

support from Asch’s research

people may conform if they feel it is something other people are doing

social change is encouraged by drawing attention to what the majority are doing - which creates deeper processing ( questioning that status quo and the unjustness in society )

environmental campaigns often use NSI - providing info about what others are doing

AO3

P - studies by Moscovici , Asch and Milgram help to explain how social influence can bring about social change . However , there are methodological problems with these studies

E - lab experiments have low ecological validity as participants may have shown demand characteristics and the situations are artificial

T - this raises doubts about the validity of social change research

AO3

P - Nolan (2008) conducted social influence research within a community which had high ecological validity

E - they hung messages on front doors saying that ‘most residents’ were trying to reduce energy change and for the control group the message just asked them to reduce energy usage

T - there were significant decreases in energy usage in the first group … suggesting that conformity (NSI) can lead to social change

sequence of social change

1 = draw attention to the cause

2 = consistency of the message

3 = create deeper processing (by the majority)

4 = the augmentation principle-show commitment and personal sacrifice

5 = snowball effect where majority adopts new beliefs

6 = social cryptomnesia occurs-new norms